


IF THIS IS LOVE

by Lica_K



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games), Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern, CLIFAN, M/M, Wrong number
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:01:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27617332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lica_K/pseuds/Lica_K
Summary: Dylan sends a text to his best friend only to find out it was the wrong number.
Relationships: Clifford Unger/Dylan Ethan Wright
Comments: 10
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Saturday|Sunday 14th|15th November**

[12:57 PM]

I fucking hate every time you decide to change your number. This better be your number or I’ll kill you the next time we see each other, Gael. I’m seriously considering giving you a tougher cell phone the next time your damn cat decides to break it

[00:02 AM]

_Good night._

[00:02 AM]

_I think maybe you got the wrong number by accident which is absolutely fine, so please don’t kill your friend because of this._

[00:04 AM]

Oh my God… Fuck. I’m so sorry

[00:05 AM]

I will kill him

[00:06 AM]

Sorry. I obviously won’t do that. Obviously. Not going to kill my friend

[00:07 AM]

Please just ignore those messages and have a great night

[00:07 AM]

I hope I didn’t wake you up… And that is not of my business. Goodbye

[00:09 AM]

_Thank you for your concern. I was still awake when I received your message, so no harm was done. Good luck with your friend._

[00:50 AM]

_Apparently my curiosity got the best of me today. May I ask how exactly your friend's cat managed to break his cell phone? I've been trying to imagine how it happened, but it still looks very... improbable? I'm not saying that I don't believe you and naturally you have no obligation to answer my question._

[00:54 AM]

Did you really spend the last 40 minutes thinking about that?

[00:55 AM]

_Like I said. My curiosity got the best of me today. And you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to._

[00:57 AM]

Well, I think I kind of owe an explanation for accidentally texting you in the middle of the night. It was my fault after all. And you seem to be a nice person, so…

[00:59 AM]

Summing up the story, Gael realized that he forgot his cell phone only when he was already outside his building and before he came back inside, something fell from the sky to the ground in front of him, almost giving him a heart attack. According to my idiot friend, Mr. Holmes (this is the name of the cat probably because he has a personality as complicated as the detective with the same name) must have realized that he forgot his cell phone in the apartment and as a good cat that he it is (no he definitely is not) Mr. Holmes tried to help by dropping the device from the balcony without taking into account that they live on the 17th floor

[01:00 AM]

In my opinion, that damn cat just wanted to see what would happen to Gael's expensive cell phone if he tested the theory of gravity

[01:01 AM]

_I admit that even if I had spent the rest of the night thinking about it, I would never have imagined that scenario. Mr. Holmes appears to be a very smart cat. Regardless of what his real intention was._

[01:02 AM]

Oh! I’m not questioning his intelligence. I know how smart he is from the first time I saw him. The problem is that Gael loves him too much to see that Mr. Holmes doesn't always have good intentions. But does he hear me? Of course not. Because my lack of social skills does not qualify me as a good judge of character

[01:04 AM]

Fine. I admit that I think the worst of the others before considering anything else, but it is better to be cautious than to be an imbecile like Gael who loves to smile even at strangers as if it were the most natural thing to do

[01:05 AM]

I don't know why I said all that to you

[01:05 AM]

I usually have a habit of being rude to everyone, especially strangers and then make people hate me

[01:05 AM]

And I certainly don't speak this much

[01:06 AM]

_I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't like you. I've been enjoying this conversation since the beginning. But I understand your strangeness about our situation._

[01:07 AM]

Right? So we should stop here and…

[01:07 AM]

Wait

[01:08 AM]

You honestly had fun talking with me? For real?

[01:09 AM]

_Yes. Is that really surprising? You really are an interesting person. I’m Cliff by the way._

[01:10 AM]

Did you really just say your name to a total stranger like that?

[01:10 AM]

You can’t do that! Even if the person tells you a funny story about his friend's cat

[01:11 AM]

Nice to meet you, Cliff. I'm Dylan

  
  
  


[03:24 PM]

_Good afternoon. Did you manage to get your friend's number without killing him?_

[03:26 PM]

You’re hilarious

[03:26 PM]

I was about to say "who the hell are you?" but then I remembered our conversation earlier

[03:27 PM]

Yeah, I did. He was very much alive and breathing the last time I saw him

[03:27 PM]

I was considering whether to tell him about our conversation last night, but I wasn't in the mood to hear the speech “you shouldn't talk to strangers” and such

[03:28 PM]

_Even though you just forgot about me a second ago?_

[03:29 PM]

I just woke up from my afternoon nap, so no judgments, Cliff

[03:29 PM]

_That didn't even cross my mind._

[03:30 PM]

_Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up last night. That’s definitely not good for your health, Dylan._

[03:32 PM]

Said the same man who spent the night talking to me. Or was that your evil twin?

[03:33 PM]

_You would be surprised to know how many hours I can stay awake. I'm an only child, so don't worry about other people taking my cell phone. Do all twin brothers have to be evil? Do you have one?_

[03:34 PM]

You really are something

[03:34 PM]

I was joking with you

[03:35 PM]

_I know._

[03:37 PM]

I totally underestimated you now, didn't I?

[03:37 PM]

It won't happen again

[03:38 PM]

_I don't mind if it happens again._

[03:38 PM]

Well, I do

[03:39 PM]

I don't have a twin brother, but if I did, I'm sure I would be the evil twin

[03:39 PM]

I'm the youngest. I have a sister and a brother

[03:40 PM]

_How nice. Sometimes I wondered what to have a brother or sister must be like._

[03:41 PM]

It's not a big deal. It's like having a friend you can talk to whenever you want and will also help you with even the most clueless ideas. But if you fight with them, you will still be living in the same house, eating the same food, at the same table and then you will feel a little guilty about being angry over something you don't even remember

[03:42 PM]

_That sounds wonderful, Dylan. You must like your brothers very much._

[03:44 PM]

Yeah. You definitely didn't hear me right

[03:44 PM]

And I'm starting to think that you know more about me than I know about you and that's fucking unfair

[03:45 PM]

_Do you have a habit of cursing when you're angry?_

[03:45 PM]

NO

[03:46 PM]

Maybe

[03:46 PM]

I don’t know. It comes naturally

[03:47 PM]

_Sorry to make you mad, it wasn't my intention. Feel free to ask anything you want and I will answer as best I can._

[03:48 PM]

_Curiously I have a friend who also has a cat. Actually, the cat belongs to his daughter, but since she is still a child Henri is the one who actually takes care of the cat. Her name is Nala. The cat, not the daughter._

[03:49 PM]

I thought Nala was a lioness

[03:49 PM]

_Glad to see that your good mood has returned. “The Lion King” is Henri's daughter's favorite movie and it was her who chose the name of the cat._

[03:50 PM]

It's a good name. Much better than Mr. Holmes

[03:50 PM]

How old are you?

[03:52 PM]

_I’ll tell you if you tell me your age too._

[03:52 PM]

Hey! I asked first!

[03:53 PM]

  1. _Your turn._



[03:54 PM]

_Dylan?_

[03:55 PM]

Yeah! Still here

[03:55 PM]

Who would say? We are 10 years apart!

[03:56 PM]

I’m 29

[03:56 PM]

Wow. Weird. For some reason now I’m thinking about something some fortune teller said to me years ago when I was a kid and I didn't even remember about it until now

[03:57 PM]

_I wouldn't guess that you're the type who believes in that kind of thing. What did she said?_

[03:58 PM]

Oh! I definitely don't believe in those nonsense. No fucking way. I believe we are the ones who make our own destiny, period. No damn fate or anything. The only reason my brothers and I had to talk to a fortune teller was because of my brother, who thought it would be nice to know about our future

[03:59 PM]

About what she told me... Most were silly things like how I can get rich or that I should drink less coffee (funny that I started drinking more coffee right after that) or things about my love life. Just bullshit. Nothing important. Guess what. She said that my sister was going to be a ballet dancer and today she’s a great doctor. Yeah. Like I said. I don’t believe in those nonsense

**Tuesday 17th November**

[01:19 PM]

_Good afternoon, Dylan._

[01:21 PM]

Arg. What's good about today?

[01:22 PM]

_Did I interrupt your afternoon nap?_

[01:22 PM]

Nope. Can't nap because of work and the coffee from work had a strange taste

[01:23 PM]

So I was forced to go to the nearest coffee shop to buy a decent coffee because some idiot broke the coffee machine!! I would probably try to fix the coffee machine if I had the time or if I had the patience to do that, which I don't have. None at all

[01:24 PM]

Sorry. I don't work well without coffee and my mood gets worse than normal

[01:24 PM]

How are you? I guess your afternoon must be better than mine

[01:25 PM]

_So far nothing exciting or intriguing like yours. You can fix a coffee machine?_

[01:26 PM]

Hm? Yeah? Didn't I tell you? I’m very good electronic devices. They’re so much simpler than people

[01:27 PM]

_Some may think differently. To me, they often seem more complex than people. At a glance you can tell a lot about a person. A machine there are so many buttons and options that something is more likely to go wrong than right. I say this from experience. I easily believe that it is very likely in the future it will have an artificial intelligence that will want to take over the world and kill most humans._

[01:29 PM]

First of all, this kind of thinking originated because of idiots who prefer to blame the machine than themselves for the bullshit and mistakes they did, because a machine only does what the fool human has set it up to do. I have no doubt about the intelligence a machine can achieve, but what makes me angry is this story that artificial intelligence wants to take over the world. The machine is not human and that is why it does not think like us, so there is no reason for it to have ridiculous thoughts like that, unless someone has configured it to follow this line of thought

[01:30 PM]

Not that I think the machines are wrong in thinking that human beings are going to destroy the world and so it might be better to kill most of them to save what can still be saved

[01:31 PM]

Now would be a good time for you to say if I'm freaking you out

[01:32 PM]

_Oh, Dylan. You’re going to need a lot more than that to freak me out. I was just trying to distract you to improve your mood, but it looks like you had the same effect on me. You just become more and more fascinating to me as our conversations go on._

[01:33 PM]

_Now would be the time for you to tell me if I'm freaking you out._

[01:34 PM]

That depends. Are you a serial killer?

[01:36 PM]

_I feel like you should have asked that question before we changed names. Should I remind you that it was you who accidentally texted me and started talking about killing your friend? You are more likely to be a serial killer than I am, let's be honest. I’m captain from the United States Army Special Forces._

[01:37 PM]

I think we both ended up freaking out without realizing

[01:38 PM]

Nice to meet you, captain. I’m also not a serial killer. I work at Wright Technology which is also the company that I recently founded. I'm slowly growing in the technology business and thanks to that I won't have time to end this conversation properly because I have to get back to work now. PS: I also really like talking with you


	2. Chapter 2

**Thursday 19th November**

[06:31 AM]

I'm curious about two things: what name did you save me in your contacts and what exactly a captain from the United States Army Special Forces does

[06:34 AM]

_ Good morning to you too, Dylan. You woke up early. _

[06:35 AM]

Oh, right. Morning, Cliff

[06:36 AM]

At first I saved your contact as "Not Gael", but after you got mad about the serial killer incident I switched to "Captain" by the way

[06:36 AM]

_ I wasn’t mad. _

[06:36 AM]

Yes, you were

[06:37 AM]

And that’s okay. It was my fault

[06:37 AM]

I should have said something funnier like "are you flirting with me?" or anything like that. I thought I got rid of my brother's habit of talking nonsense when I'm nervous, but it seems that was not the case

[06:38 AM]

I'm really really bad at social interactions

[06:39 AM]

_ “The Evil Twin” Your name in my contacts. _

[06:40 AM]

Ha ha ha! (evil laugh)

[06:40 AM]

I'm glad I made such a great first impression

[06:41 AM]

_ Kidding. I may have thought about saving with that name, but I like your real name better. What do you want to know about my work? _

[06:41 AM]

Anything you can and want to tell me

[06:44 AM]

_ Well, let me think. I fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other countries. Basically, I take care of my unit, keeping them alive so that they can return home, at the same time we carry out the orders our superiors give us. Maybe in the beginning I enjoyed all that glory of being a soldier fighting for the country and for my companions, but nowadays I try to follow orders without starting a fight because most superiors are more concerned with fulfilling missions at the cost of their subordinates' lives. But in the end, I'm a good soldier and I honestly can't imagine doing anything other than this. _

[06:45 AM]

So… Being a captain don't give you the right to tell others to fuck off?

[06:45 AM]

_ (laughing) I suppose you really don't know how the military hierarchy works, right? _

[06:46 AM]

Of course I don't. I’m not a soldier and after what you said, I have no interest in being one. Thank you very much

[06:48 AM]

_ Such a sane. I would like to have someone like you by my side in the heat of battle. You look like the type of soldier who loves to break the rules and disobey orders to do what you think is right and I would probably have to protect your back so you don't get yourself killed. _

[06:48 AM]

Now I don't know if you are flirting with me or calling me stupid

[06:49 AM]

_ I would never call you stupid and would probably feel like shooting anyone who dares to call you that. _

[06:50 AM]

You probably wouldn't have the opportunity to shoot that person because I would have already broken their nose with my fist. Not that I'm a violent person, but I know how to defend myself. My sister made a point of teaching me and my brother how to defend ourselves and I'm more afraid of her than anyone else out there

[06:51 AM]

And you didn't answer my question

[06:51 AM]

_ I don't remember you asking any question _

[06:52 AM]

Are you flirting with me, Cliff?

[06:53 AM]

_ I think I've been flirting with you since you told me the funny story about your friend's cat, but thanks for noticing it now. Perhaps my flirtations are worse than your supposed lack of social skills. _

[06:54 AM]

Supposed? You don’t think I have a lack of social skills?

[06:54 AM]

_ I think you are too hard on yourself, Dylan. _

[06:55 AM]

Or maybe it's because you still don't know me well

[06:55 AM]

_ I would like to change that. If you want too. _

[06:56 AM]

People don't flirt with me, Cliff. Not really

[06:56 AM]

_ What they do then? _

[06:56 AM]

Regret meeting me?

[06:57 AM]

_ Like I said. Too hard on yourself. _

[06:57 AM]

I'm just trying not to give you false expectations

[06:57 AM]

_ You haven't lied to me until now, so I find it hard to believe that I'm creating false expectations. _

[06:58 AM]

How do you know I didn't lie to you?

[06:58 AM]

_ A feeling? I know a liar when I see one. _

[06:58 AM]

Takes one to know one?

[06:59 AM]

_ I don't lie to people I like, Dylan. _

[06:59 AM]

Wow! You really know how to flirt. How can you still be single?

[06:59 AM]

_ Too busy saving lives and killing people. What's your excuse? _

[07:00 AM]

I could give you a list, but you will probably say that I am being too hard on myself again. Too busy trying to grow my business and I've never been attracted to anyone until now, so I don't even know how to flirt. Maybe I should take some classes with you

[07:00 AM]

And that was my attempt to flirt if you haven't noticed

**Friday 20th November**

[08:37 PM]

Finally going to have a little break from work!

[08:37 PM]

Not that I'm complaining

[08:37 PM]

Gael loves to call me a workaholic and I know I am, but... sometimes I need a break too

[08:38 PM]

What are you doing, Captain?

[08:42 PM]

_ Reading a book. _

[08:42 PM]

Are you that bored?

[08:43 PM]

_ From your comment, I think you don't like reading books, do you? _

[08:44 PM]

Don't get me wrong. I think books are very important and they definitely help people's intellectual development, however even though I read some books I can't consider myself a fan of doing that. I prefer to watch movies/series or play games on the computer

[08:44 PM]

What book are you reading?

[08:45 PM]

_ “The Last Apprentice”. Volume 8. _

[08:45 PM]

Congratulations for being already at number 8! How many in total?

[08:46 PM]

_ 19. _

[08:46 PM]

That's a lot of volumes! Wow! Good luck in finishing reading all that. What is it about?

[08:47 PM]

_ We don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. _

[08:47 PM]

Cliff

[08:47 PM]

I'm not saying all this to please you (maybe a little), I'm really curious to know what kind of book you like to read. Who knows? Depending on the story, I might even give a try and read the first book

[08:48 PM]

But no promises because I'm not the type to lie just to please others

[08:48 PM]

_ I appreciate your honesty. _

[08:50 PM]

_ This story is told by a boy, Thomas Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son. He is the apprentice of Gregory to become a Spook - a master fighter of supernatural evil. John Gregory is the Spook for "the County" and gives Tom practical instruction on tackling ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts, and all manner of other things that serve "The Dark". _

[08:52 PM]

Hm, interesting. It seems to be a more complex story than it looks. I would never have imagined that you like that kind of genre. Gregory is a cool name. I like it

[08:52 PM]

Maybe Gael has this book and then I just need to steal it, I mean borrow it

[08:53 PM]

_ Your friend likes books? _

[08:54 PM]

Oh, he doesn't "like" books, he loves them. His family even has a huge library in their huge house in England and sometimes he misses that place, so he gradually turns his apartment into a small private library. Gael even managed to convinced my brother to read more books and I think he is trying to do the same thing to my sister

[08:54 PM]

He tried to do the same thing with me when we were studying together at the university, but at this point in our friendship I think Gael already realized that I have no interest in this matter

[08:56 PM]

_ What would happen if I tried to persuade you? To read more books. _

[08:56 PM]

Captain, you have already convinced me to read one book without even trying to persuade me. I think it's safe to say that you have more influence on me in that matter than my friend

[08:57 PM]

By the way, where do you live?

[08:57 PM]

_ New York, Manhattan. _

[08:57 PM]

HOLY FUCK

[08:57 PM]

ME TOO

[08:59 PM]

Maybe we have seen each other without knowing it!

[08:59 PM]

Or not. This city is very big and full of people…

[09:00 PM]

_ What do you look like? _

[09:02 PM]

5′ 9,5″ / blue eyes / brown hair / almost always with dark sunglasses / usually wearing suit

[09:02 PM]

I'm a real charm until the moment I open my mouth

[09:03 PM]

How about you, Cliff? Can I imagine you in a military uniform? Because I've been doing that since the moment you told me you were a captain

[09:04 PM]

_ I didn't know you liked uniforms. _

[09:04 PM]

Me neither. Come on, Cliff! I want more details!

[09:05 PM]

_ 5ft 11 ¾ / brown eyes and hair / only wear uniform when I'm working / probably with a cigarette in my mouth _

[09:06 PM]

_ Smoking’s my only bad habit that I won't be able to quit anytime soon, even if my parents and grandparents don't approve. I try not to smoke in their presence, but it seems that the smell of the cigarette is already part of me. _

[09:07 PM]

I smoke too, sometimes when I'm angry or when I just want to have something in my mouth. But don't tell my brothers. They will be mad at me for voluntarily destroying my lungs

[09:08 PM]

When did you start smoking?

[09:09 PM]

_ Probably at 18? You? _

[09:09 PM]

15

[09:10 PM]

_ Too young, Dylan. And how did your brothers not find out? _

[09:12 PM]

Oh, they did. My sister almost killed me and my brother confiscated all the cigarettes. I spent the following years under their supervision, until the day I left home (definitely one of the best days of my life / sorry, family drama) and went to university

[09:12 PM]

Gael also keeps saying that I should quit smoking, but at least he doesn't behave like my brothers and let me do things my way

[09:13 PM]

_ You know that your brothers act like that because they are concerned about you, right? _

[09:14 PM]

Yeah. I know

[09:14 PM]

I just wish they didn't overreact at any little thing I do

[09:15 PM]

As if it was their fault every mistake I make

[09:16 PM]

Which is silly to think, after all they are not my parents and the consequences of the choices I make are mine

[09:18 PM]

Sorry. It was not my intention to make this conversation with you about my family drama

[09:19 PM]

I probably should take a shower and go get something to eat. What will you have for dinner?

[09:20 PM]

_ Probably anything in the fridge that can be heated in the microwave. _

[09:20 PM]

(laughing a lot) You also don't know how to cook? Oh, boy. And here I was hoping that you would be responsible for feeding us both. Well, we can always order a pizza, right?

  
  


[10: 16 PM]

_ How was your pizza? _

[10: 18 PM]

They didn't have my favorite flavor, so I ended up with the second best option, but yeah. It was good. It probably would have been tastier if you were here. How about yours?

[10: 19 PM]

_ Better than I remember. I think it must have been months since I last ate pizza. _

[10: 20 PM]

_ Was that an invitation or are you just flirting? _

[10: 20 PM]

Yes

[10: 21 PM]

_ You’re fully aware that is not an answer, right? _

[10: 21 PM]

It's not my fault if you didn't understand my answer, captain

[10: 22 PM]

_ The pizza really put you in a good mood. _

[10: 22 PM]

The pizza was good, but I think it was you

[10: 23 PM]

And… I can't believe I said that

[10: 23 PM]

You’re a bad influence, Cliff!

[10: 23 PM]

I’m definitely not the type to say those things!

[10: 23 PM]

This is not good for my heart

[10: 24 PM]

_ I thought the point of flirting was for you to affect my heart. _

[10: 24 PM]

Shut up

[10: 27 PM]

_ On a scale of 1 to 10 how much would you be mad if I said that you look more adorable acting like this? _

[10: 27 PM]

1000

[10: 28 PM]

_ You look more adorable acting like this, Dylan. _

[10: 28 PM]

JESUS

[10: 28 PM]

You’re unbelievable

[10: 29 PM]

_ You're the one who started the flirting. I'm just paying back. _

[10:30 PM]

Yeah, right. You’re doing more than that and you know it

[10:31 PM]

_ All right. I'll stop if you want me to. _

[10:31 PM]

Now you're being mean. Who the fuck said to stop?

[10:32 PM]

_ You're not making any sense, Dylan. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Sunday 22th November**

[11:27 AM]

_ Thanks for your gift, John. I really appreciate it. You didn't have to worry about it, but it seems that even when I forget about my birthday, you won't. Thank you, my friend. _

[11:29 AM]

What the fuck

[11:29 AM]

WHAT THE ACTUALLY FUCK

[11:30 AM]

WHO THE FUCK IS JOHN?

[11:31 AM]

_ Oh! Hello, Dylan. _

[11:32 AM]

_ I apologize. I thought I was sending the message to my friend, but I think I accidentally ended up selecting your number. It seems that my learning with electronic items still needs to be improved. _

[11:32 AM]

Yeah. I realized that

[11:32 AM]

Who the fuck is John? And what do you mean by birthday?

[11:33 AM]

_ John is a military friend of mine. We are part of the same team. I was just thanking him for the present he bought for me. _

[11:33 AM]

Like a birthday present?

[11:33 AM]

_ Yes. _

[11:35 AM]

Is your birthday today?

[11:35 AM]

_ Yes. _

[11:36 AM]

Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!

[11:36 AM]

_ Well, honestly? I may have forgotten about it. _

[11:36 AM]

You forgot your own birthday?

[11:37 AM]

_ It wasn’t the first time. I think that after we become adults our birthdays don't seem as important as they used to be. At least that's the impression I get. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm usually working during this time of year. _

[11:38 AM]

I wish my brothers would think the same way as you. They take birthdays very seriously. Especially mine, no matter how many times I say I don't care about that date

[11:38 AM]

Happy birthday, Cliff

[11:38 AM]

I have no idea what you usually do to celebrate your birthday, but I hope you have a great day and enjoy this sunday without worrying about tomorrow

[11:39 AM]

I'm really glad to have accidentally sent you the wrong message and met you (not in person, but maybe one day, right?). Since it's your birthday I think you should have a real lunch instead of eating something frozen from the fridge. Want suggestions for places to eat?

[11:40 AM]

_ I agreed to have lunch at my parents' house, so I won't have to worry about cooking anything because they are well aware of my lack of culinary skills, but thanks for worrying about me. _

[11:41 AM]

_ Thank you, Dylan. I’m also very happy to have met you. _

[11:41 AM]

_ Tell you what. Why don't you go ahead and think about good places to eat for the day when we finally meet in person? _

[11:42 AM]

Are you asking me out on a date?

[11:42 AM]

_ Guess I already know what I'm going to wish for when I blow out the candles on this year's birthday cake. _

[11:42 AM]

Is this your discreet way of asking me to give you a birthday present, Cliff?

[11:43 AM]

_ I thought I was being pretty obvious. Can't think of a better gift than being able to finally admire your blue eyes. _

[11:43 AM]

I guess my sunglasses are out of the picture at this date then. Good to know

[11:43 AM]

And what exactly did your friend give you as a gift? I just want to make sure that my gift will definitely be better

[11:44 AM]

_ A tactical black stainless steel military knife and a Captain America mug. _

[11:44 AM]

You military people have completely different notions for buying birthday gifts. And why the Captain America's mug? You like him?

[11:45 AM]

_ It's an inside joke. _

[11:45 AM]

Consider me curious

[11:45 AM]

I have a feeling it probably has something to do with the fact that you are also a captain

[11:46 AM]

_ Something like that. I will save this story for our date. By the way, when is your birthday? _

[11:47 AM]

So is it official? We are really going to have a date

[11:47 AM]

_ Why? Have you changed your mind? _

[11:48 AM]

It’s not that. I just still can't believe that we will actually meet

[11:50 AM]

Hm… Do you want to receive a small gift now?

[11:50 AM]

_ What do you have in mind? _

[11:52 AM / Incoming call: Dylan]

“ _ Hello? _ ”

“Happy birthday, Captain Cliff! God, your voice is more incredible than I had imagined and all you said was "hello". [nervous laugh] Sorry. I'm not freaking out. I just ended up feeling happier than I thought. How are you?”

“ _ Surprised by your small gift. I’m very happy to hear your voice too. Thank you, Dylan. _ ”

“June 19.”

“ _ Sorry? _ ”

“My birthday. You asked, but I still haven't answered.”

“ _ True. You seemed more concerned about our date. _ ”

“You can't blame me for feeling this way. After all, we find ourselves in unique circumstances. You really don't think our relationship is a little weird? I think I felt that way at first, but now I feel so comfortable talking to you that I honestly think you're already part of my life. Gael said I'm crazy.”

“ _ My friend also reproached me for saying that I’m being very reckless in continuing to talk to you. _ ”

“Henri?”

“ _ No. John. _ ”

“You told him about me?”

“ _ He thought it was strange that I was spending a lot of time on my cell phone, something I didn't do before I met you, so I ended up telling him about you. John tried to erase your number saying it was for my own good, but he changed his mind when he realized how angry I was _ .”

“You got mad at your friend because of me? I feel honored, Captain.”

“ _ [pause] I like your voice too, Dylan. Can we do this more often? Unfortunately, I'm going to have to hang up because of lunch with my parents, but I want to talk to you later if that's okay with you. _ ”

“I’m more than okay about that. Have a great time with your parents.”

“ _ Thank you. I hope you have a nice lunch too. What are you going to eat? _ ”

“Hm, since it's your birthday I think I'm going to eat your favorite.”

“ _ You said you don't like seafood. _ ”

“I still have to find a good place for our date, right? Besides, I think I never really enjoyed seafood because I never found myself in good company. See you later, Cliff.”

“ _ Can't wait for our date. Bye, Dylan. _ ”


	4. Chapter 4

**Friday 27th November**

[05:21 PM]

_ Good afternoon, Dylan. I hope you are not exaggerating too much at work like you have done in the past few days despite you insisting to me that you don't. I can even imagine you having your fourth cup of coffee, so don't even try to fool me. I need to talk to you about something, so text me when you can talk. _

[06:18 PM]

You and your military skills are too scary. I was literally drinking my fourth cup of coffee when I finally got to read your message. I wasn't trying to fool you. That never crossed my mind, I swear. I just didn't want to make you worried about something as silly as the bullshit of my work.

[06:18 PM]

I'm free now. What do you want to talk about?

[06:19 PM]

Is it about our date? Because if you don't like the place, we can change it. Honestly, I don't care where we meet. I just want to see you

[06:19 PM]

Maybe that sounded weirder than I intended, so ignore that last part

[06:20 PM]

_ I like to be worried about you, Dylan, even though I can't do much to help but talk to you. Feel free to tell anything you want to me, even “bullshit” from your work because it will be a pleasure to listen to you. _

[06:21 PM]

_ I want to see you too. That's why I asked to talk. Unfortunately we will have to delay our date. _

[06:21 PM]

_ A mission has come up and I will have to be absent for some time. _

[06:22 PM]

How long?

[06:22 PM]

_ Probably a month. _

[06:22 PM]

That long?! It must be something really serious (and I know you can't give me the details about it, so you don't need to apologize for that). A pity because for the first time I was really excited about Christmas this year

[06:23 PM]

Can we still exchange messages, at least?

[06:24 PM]

_ Sorry, Dylan. Unfortunately not. I’ll leave my cell phone here. _

[06:24 PM]

Yeah, I understand

[06:25 PM]

When are you leaving?

[06:25 PM]

_ Tomorrow. _

[06:26 PM]

_ Are you still at work? _

[06:26 PM]

Hm? Yeah. Why?

[06:27 PM]

_ Maybe I'm crossing a line, but I left something for you at the reception of the Wright Technology building. I hope I was not wrong to say it was for the owner of the company. I had the impression that the security guard looked at me suspiciously because he thought it might be a bomb. _

[06:27 PM]

WAIT YOU WERE HERE??

[06:27 PM]

WHERE ARE YOU?

[06:28 PM]

_ I'm not there anymore, Dylan. I just went to leave something for you. _

[06:28 PM]

So, my employees get to see you, but I can't? That’s fucking unfair, Cliff

[06:29 PM]

_ Can you blame me for thinking that if we saw each other I wouldn't want to leave tomorrow even though it is an obligation of my job? I wasn’t lying before. I really want to see you, but not when I'm about to leave for a month. _

[06:31 PM]

And what the hell can I say to that?

[06:31 PM]

_ Did you get it? _

[06:32 PM]

Your bomb? Yes, I got it

[06:32 PM]

I was about to take the elevator when my employee said someone left it for me and handed over the package

[06:32 PM]

What is it?

[06:33 PM]

_ Your Christmas present. Hope you like it. _

[06:33 PM]

_ And also my apology for having to change the date of our date. _

[06:35 PM]

I swear to you, Cliff, if you fucking die on this stupid mission, I’ll hate you so much that you will regret having answered that first message we exchanged

[06:35 PM]

_ I have no intention of dying before I see you in person, Dylan. _

[06:35 PM]

_ And I will never regret doing that. No matter what. _

[06:37 PM]

_ Did you like it? _

[06:38 PM]

I already have at least 5 headphones, Cliff

[06:38 PM]

_ That's not what I asked, Mr. Wright. _

[06:39 PM]

OF COURSE I LOVE IT

[06:39 PM]

Stupid captain. How could I not like a gift from you? You even got the color right.

[06:39 PM]

_ I'm glad to hear this. I thought it would match your eyes. _

[06:40 PM]

Fucking stupid captain

[06:40 PM]

_ You know, you're the only person I know who has the courage to curse me like that. I like that in a man. _

[06:41 PM]

Don't try to flirt with me, you fool. You're the one who is going way tomorrow

[06:42 PM]

I’ll miss you. So fucking much

[06:42 PM]

_ Me too. More than you can think. But I will come back to you. I promise. _

  
  


**Sunday 29th November**

[02:06 AM]

First day without you around here and I can't sleep

[02:08 AM]

I'm being ridiculous, I know

[02:08 AM]

Why send you messages that you won't answer for at least a month?

[02:10 AM]

Here’s a thing about me that I haven’t told yet

[02:10 AM]

I can be quite annoying when it comes to the things I care about and I really care about you

[02:11 AM]

Perhaps even more than it should. I'm going to shut up now

  
  


**Wednesday 2nd December**

[10:28 AM]

I’m reading the second book from that series you told me about. I stole it from Gael, but when he found out about it, the idiot was all happy instead of being mad at me. I really can't understand people like him. I have the impression that you and he would get along very well, but then I get angry at the thought because I want to have you just for me

[10:30 AM]

I'll shut up before I say more bullshit and embarrass myself even though I know you're not going to read this

  
  


**Monday 7th December**

[06:17 AM]

I’m so used to waking up early because of you that it has now become an annoying habit. Fuck

  
  


**Sunday 13th December**

[04:01 AM]

My brothers think I’m sick because I have been acting a little strange for the past few weeks

[04:02 AM]

I'm not sick. Promise. Just...

[04:15 AM]

It started snowing around here and I wonder if it is snowing where you are

  
  


**Tuesday 15th December**

[02:36 PM]

Did I tell you that I bought you a Christmas present too?

[02:37 PM]

I was having trouble deciding which would be the best gift to buy for you. It was very difficult, so please acknowledge all the effort I had, okay?

[02:37 PM]

I was able to buy gifts for my brothers and Gael in just four days, but for you it took weeks

[02:38 PM]

And no. I’ll not tell you what it is. You have to come back in one piece so I can give it to you when we meet

  
  


**Thursday 17th December**

[05:43 PM]

Guess what? My brother and Gael are dating. Yeah, that's right. Ryan just told me and Amber as if it were the simplest thing in the world. I didn't even know they liked each other in that way! I had already realized that the two were friends, but it's not the same. Or maybe I didn't pay attention. Amber looked a lot less surprised than I was

[05:47 PM]

Want to hear something funny? I was jealous of them

  
  


**Monday 21th December**

[09:47 AM]

Did you believe in Santa Claus as a child?

[09:47 AM]

With the entire city decorated for Christmas this question came to my mind as I looked at a big Christmas tree

[09:52 AM]

I don’t have all my memories as a child, but I have the impression that I never believed because the idea of an old man entering the chimney and placing gifts under the Christmas tree was, for me, tremendously ridiculous and absurd. Well, my parents were never the type to try to trick me or my siblings into believing this, so I think it also kind of helped making me not believe in Santa Claus

[09:54 AM]

I think what I'm trying to say is that if he really did exist... My only wish would be for you to be able to return as soon as possible. Maybe even before Christmas

[09:58 AM]

But we both know that he doesn't exist, right?

  
  


**Thursday 24th December**

[11:24 PM]

Merry Christmas, Cliff

[11:28 PM]

I hope you are well and not too cold wherever you are now. Honestly, I would like to have a word with your superior about making good soldiers work even at Christmas. I’m a terrible boss, but even I’m not cruel enough to compel my employees to work on Christmas. Whoever he is, he definitely has no Christmas spirit and I bet he won't get any presents from Santa Claus. I'm still mad at Santa for not giving me the gift I asked for

[11:59 PM / unknown number]

_ Merry Christmas, Dylan. _

[11:59 PM / unknown number]

_ How about we make that date for tomorrow? _

[ _ This number is off or does not exist. For more information, please… _ ]

  
  


**Friday 25th December**

[01:02 AM]

Fucking Captain Clifford Unger

[01:02 AM]

If you could steal or buy a disposable cell phone you should have done it earlier!

[01:03 AM]

Yeah. I know your full name

[01:03 AM]

I had a lot of free time around here without you to distract me with your messages and I may have used my technology skills to find out more about you

[01:04 AM]

Sue me. I don't care

[01:04 AM]

You still owe me a date

[10:17 AM]

That place we had agreed to meet will be full of people today because of Christmas, so how about we meet at my favorite coffee shop? I definitely need good coffee. I'm going there now, so... feel free to show up whenever you want. I promise I'll wait for you just until I finish my coffee. Don’t be late


	5. Chapter 5

Although it wasn’t snowing like yesterday, Christmas morning was cold enough to force New York residents to wrap themselves in thick coats and gloves. The cold didn't seem to bother the man at the table facing the window, apparently having his second coffee, while his eyes were fixed on the small book in his hands.

Dylan was wearing his best cold clothes, without looking like he had exaggerated, because after all that was not the first impression he would like to make. As promised, he had left his sunglasses at home, however he seemed to be trying to hide his face behind the book that he was pretending to read. Every time Dylan thought he had managed to hold his attention on words, he soon realized he was reading the same sentence again.

His brown hair was combed in an elegant and at the same time charming style, a result achieved after a few hours in the bathroom in front of the mirror. Indeed, Dylan owned a pair of deep, intense blue eyes that could easily intimidate anyone who bothered him enough to deserve it. However, now those eyes looked anxious and perhaps curious, intently watching anyone who entered the front door of the coffee shop where he was.

Hardly the type who waits for others, Dylan was surprised at himself to recognize that he would probably be sitting at that table waiting for that person as long as it would take. Many questions were going through his mind, especially if Cliff may have referred to the 26th and not the 25th when he wrote "tomorrow" in his message.

He laughed to himself as the thought that maybe he was too hasty with his messages, as he always did.

There was something about the interaction between Dylan and Cliff that made him behave spontaneously and probably incoherently, doing things he never would have done before. He still didn't quite understand, but whenever he talked to that captain, Dylan felt he could tell him anything, that he trusted him enough to do that. In a way, it didn't make sense since they had known each other for a short time and mainly because they never really met. How could he trust someone like that? How could he miss this man the way he did during the past month that they didn't talk to each other? How could he think that maybe he had fallen in love with someone just like that?

Sighing for the tenth time, Dylan was about to order his third coffee when someone approached his table and stopped right in front of him. He probably would have been irritated with this person if he hadn't noticed the military outfit the man in front of him was wearing.

“Is this seat taken?” the man politely questioned in a calm, deep voice, the same voice that made Dylan shiver and think he would never get tired of listening to it. “Or maybe I should get you another coffee as an apology for making you wait.” he smiled and Dylan thought his heart stopped beating. “I thought you said you were going to wait just until you finished your coffee, Dylan.”

“And you are late, Captain.” Dylan forced himself to say, trying to look as relaxed as possible, even if he couldn't control the smile that came to his lips. “But since it seems like you came as fast as you could, without even being able to change clothes, I think I can forgive you this time.” and saying this, he politely offered the chair in front of him, which Cliff sat on, removing the backpack on his back and placing it on the floor next to his leg. “Did you have a pleasant trip?”

Sitting facing each other, Dylan now had the opportunity to observe the man properly. Cliff did look a little older than him, but his physique, his brown hair falling slightly over his forehead and his unique amber-colored eyes made him look young and strong enough to make Dylan feel like he couldn't be real. No one could be as perfect and beautiful as that man.

“What makes you think that I didn't change into this uniform just to show it to you?” asked Cliff, looking at Dylan with a bright smile that he also couldn't seem to control since the moment they faced each other. “The trip was smoother than I had imagined and unfortunately took longer than I would have liked. The uniform I used to do the mission was too dirty to allow me to come on a date, so I changed into this one and came as fast as my motorcycle allowed-”

“You have a motorcycle?!” Dylan interrupted him, not hiding his excitement.

“Yes? I thought I already told you that.” the military seemed even happier if that was possible.

“Nope. I'm sure I would remember if you said something about it.” leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, Dylan continued to admire Cliff, still unable to believe he was actually there in front of him. “You’re more handsome than I had imagined.” confessed, without thinking twice.

“The same can be said about you.” replied Cliff, leaning forward a little bit, without taking his eyes off the other. “It's a pleasure to finally be able to admire those beautiful blue eyes that I heard so much about. If your brother has the same eyes as you, I can understand why your friend ended up falling in love with him.”

“You really are unbelievable.” said Dylan, laughing and looking away more out of embarrassment than anything else. “So... I suppose you had the opportunity to read my messages? All of them?”

“That was my other reason to be late.” he confessed, smiling and looking a little confused, as if thinking about what to say next. “I wasn't expecting you to write so many messages while I was away.”

Still avoiding looking directly at the most handsome man he had ever seen in his life, Dylan wondered again why he thought it had been a good idea to send those embarrassed messages that made him look like a totally foolish teenager in love, which he definitely wasn’t.

“What can I say? I felt bored." Dylan justified himself, shrugging his shoulders in a relaxed manner. “In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm not a social person, Cliff.” looking out the window, he got distracted looking at the movement of people outside. “I have only one friend, who for some reason endures my temper in a way that no one is able to do, but now he’s more concerned with making my brother happy than asking me why I’m stealing his books.”

“Did you like the books?” there was curiosity in Cliff's tone of voice.

Looking at the book on the table before looking back at the man in front of him, Dylan smiled thinking that he would be able to read an entire library if that was what it takes to make Cliff continue to watch him the way he was doing now.

“The stories are interesting. I can understand why you like them.” he answered sincerely, not feeling the need to try to impress Cliff, because being himself seemed to be enough. Or at least he hoped it was enough. “But honestly? I liked to read them because they made me think of you. That way I didn't feel so lonely.”

It was definitely much easier to say these things through messages, as somehow you didn't have to worry entirely about the other person's reaction, what expression he would make or how he would look at you after hearing words that were too sincere to be said to a stranger and even to a friend. Nor was it a fun flirtation that made both of them smile even though they didn't really confess how they felt about each other.

“I missed you too. Every day.” Cliff's words were sincere too, showing how seriously he was taking what Dylan had said. “I was also unable to sleep properly the first day we stopped exchanging messages.” they both knew he was referring to the messages Dylan had written. “Here’s something about me that I haven’t told you.” he paused, taking care to keep his eyes fixed on the other's. “I hate writing text messages on cell phones.”

Despite recognizing the seriousness in his tone, Dylan stared at Cliff in confusion, thinking he had heard wrong.

“I’m sorry. You what?” he asked, still feeling quite confused.

“I don't like answering messages by cell phone because I always end up pressing the wrong keys or thinking too much about what to write, which ends up making me more confused and a little irritated.” Cliff explained, seeming to try to describe exactly how he felt, not appearing to be making a joke or playing around. “I'm kind of type who prefers calls. They're a lot more simple.” and for some inexplicable reason, at least for Dylan, he started laughing and God! It made him look even more charming, if that was even possible. “The Captain America joke. My men joke around with me by saying that besides the two of us being captains, we also look out of our time.”

Even without knowing what to do with all that new information, Dylan laughed together with Cliff, because how could it be possible that the man with whom he had exchanged endless messages could just detest doing this and never mention it before?

“Do you like me that much?” Dylan asked, still laughing, not really thinking about the meaning of his words.

“Yes, I do.” the two stopped laughing, but still kept their smiles. “You're not the only one who wants to keep this special thing that we have just between us, you know?”

The two continued to stare at each other for the next few seconds, barely feeling the time go by or the fact that neither of them was saying anything. They felt comfortable this way. Almost as if they actually knew each other for a long time.

“I doubt that, because you are not as selfish as I am.” replied Dylan.

“You would be surprised.” proposed Cliff, seeming to challenge Dylan. “I can assure you that sending you that message on a disposable cell phone was probably one of the most risky things I've ever done on a mission.” he smiled as he watched the other's confused look. “It is against the rules to make contact with anyone while on missions.”

“What the hell were you thinking then?” he rhetorically questioned him, not believing that Cliff had risked that much because of a damn simple message. “Are you fucking crazy?”

“Crazy for you, it seems.” Cliff laughed when he saw Dylan snorting irritably. “By the way, where is my Christmas gift?”

“Do I look like Santa Claus? Of course I didn't bring your gift and I wasn't even sure you were really going to show up.” running a hand through his hair, Dylan took a cup of coffee just to remember that he had already had all his second coffee. “I need another coffee.”

While Dylan had his third coffee, Cliff ate his breakfast with cappuccino (with those artistic designs on the top of the white thing), as he hadn't even had a chance to eat something on the flight back here.

“I think I believed in Santa Claus until I was 10?” started to say Cliff after taking another sip of his cappuccino, unfortunately not getting the white part on the top of his lips so that Dylan could have an excuse to kiss him. Not that they were seriously considering doing that. “I used to hunt for gifts left by Santa Claus all over my parents' house because it was never put in the same place.” the thought of a small version of Cliff running around looking for gifts made Dylan feel happy enough to smile again, realizing that this was certainly the day he had smiled the most in his life. “When I found out that it was actually my parents who did that, strangely I didn't find it so surprising and I accepted that Santa Claus didn't exist much better than they expected from a child my age.”

“I see.” Dylan listened carefully, thinking that if Cliff's parents were even a little bit like their son, they certainly must be great people. He would like to meet them. Someday maybe. “If you were 10, then I must have been born that year. What a pity that you lost a little of your childhood just when I decided to appear in this world.”

“Is that how you interpret it?” the two faced each other. “Because it seems to me that I ended up getting the best Christmas gift that year, even though it was something I would only know about years later.”

“Well… when you put it that way…” instead of elaborating his thoughts more, Dylan took a sip of his coffee. “I could say the same thing about you.” he smiled as he fixed his attention on Cliff's face. “Maybe Santa Claus just gives one a gift to each person and I guess we already got ours.”

“Maybe.” the captain agreed, seeming to have liked Dylan's thought. “And how was your Christmas with your brothers?”

As Cliff finished eating, Dylan told how the Christmas celebration had gone the night before that was held at Amber's house. His older sister lived with her fiancé, who was also a doctor, and for that reason the Wright brothers usually celebrated Christmas with him, but this year they were pleased to have Gael's presence since he was officially Ryan’s boyfriend. Dylan said that it should have been the first Christmas that there were so many gifts that it was not possible to put everything under the Christmas tree that Amber had set up.

The conversation between the two continued to occur naturally, practically identical to all the conversations they had by exchanging messages, only that now they could hear each other's laughter, see the smiles on their lips and especially the way they looked at one another.

“There's something I've been wanting to ask you for some time.” realizing Cliff's serious tone in saying this, Dylan focused all his attention on him, wondering what this new subject could be. “What did that fortune teller tell you about your love life?”

Blinking his eyes a few times, surprised that he definitely wasn't expecting this to be the question Cliff wanted to ask, it took Dylan a few seconds to be able to give an appropriate answer without looking awkward when he did.

“You're going to laugh.” he said, probably trying to buy more time before he forced himself to speak the truth.

“For some reason… I really doubt that.” replied Cliff, still using a serious and calm tone.

“Fine.” after taking a deep breath, Dylan looked at the other with his most indifferent expression possible. “She said to me that the person I was going to fall in love with was going to be ten years older than me.”

Cliff didn't laugh like Ryan had laughed the day the fortune teller told them, nor did he make comments like his brother did when he said that he didn't expect Dylan's type to be someone older. Cliff also didn’t keep his expression as neutral as Amber had on saying that it didn't matter who Dylan fell in love with, but that she would kill anyone who tried to break her younger brother's heart.

“That explains why you were so surprised when I told you my age.” were the captain's words, as he smiled at Dylan and watched him in a way as if he were the most incredible thing he had ever seen in his life. “I’m curious to think what that fortune teller would say to me about my future.”

“Probably something like "think twice before answering the message from a wrong number". But as I told you before, I don't believe in these things.” and he wasn't lying. Dylan really didn't believe that his life was already set out, because that made him remember how his parents wanted him to be the perfect child until they rejected him for not being one. “If I fall in love with you, I want this to be my choice and not because someone told me it was going to happen.”

“You really know how to make someone fall for you all over again, don’t you, Dylan?” Cliff's smile got even wider when he noticed the slight redness on the other's face. “Last chance to change your mind. Because if we continue to go this route, I will consider my personal mission to make you fall in love with me.”

Not believing what he had just heard, Dylan laughed wondering if it was even possible to feel as happy as he was feeling right now. He still wasn't sure if Cliff was going to continue to like him when he got to know him better, but Dylan knew that if he let this man get away now he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Kind of hard to do a mission that has already been concluded, don't you think?” and just like that, Dylan confessed his feelings. “How about we both worry when our next date is going to be, Captain?”

Turns out that their next date was going to be sooner than they thought.

**Extra scene**

After their date at the coffee shop, the two ended up going to Dylan's apartment because they didn't want to split up yet and also because there was the matter of Cliff's Christmas present. Before going up to the apartment, Dylan spent a good few minutes admiring his boyfriend's motorcycle (they were dating now, right? That was what usually happened after confessing their feelings to each other, right?). While listening to Cliff tell some details about the motorcycle, Dylan wondered if he would probably have a heart attack if the captain ever invited him to ride the motorcycle with him.

The gift Dylan had taken weeks to choose and buy turned out to be an elegant silver watch. Taking into account how much Dylan liked technology things, Cliff was surprised that the watch was simple with hands to indicate the time and not something modern like a digital watch with several other options. But then, he smiled when he realized that his boyfriend had obviously taken into account Cliff's preferences.

Kissing those lips as a thank you for the gift was so natural and spontaneous that it almost felt like they had done it before. For Cliff, Dylan had the strong taste of coffee and at the same time something sweet that made him kiss those lips again because it was more addictive than any cigarette he has ever smoked. Dylan seemed to think the same, since he returned the kiss with the same intensity as the other.

Unfortunately Dylan's cell phone started to ring and they both had to stop kissing because whoever was calling was being very insistent. Apologizing for having to interrupt that moment and promising that he would curse whoever was calling, Dylan suggested that Cliff sit on the couch while he answered the call.

As promised, Dylan indeed cursed the person on the other end of the phone before he realized it was nothing more than his dear older sister wanting to know what his plans were for today. Thanks to his cursing he ended up listening to Amber's sermon for a good few minutes before he could end the conversation and return to the living room where he had left Cliff.

To his surprise, he ended up realizing that Cliff had fallen asleep while sitting on his couch with his arms crossed. Instead of wondering how cute Cliff looked while he slept, Dylan laid him on the couch, putting even a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body. Clearly the soldier must be more tired than Dylan had imagined, especially considering that he had just returned from a mission that had lasted about a month.

When Cliff woke up the next morning, he was quite surprised to find that he had fallen asleep unintentionally and put some of the blame on Dylan's extremely comfortable couch. The two had breakfast together, thinking that they could easily get used to it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Monday 22th February**

[08:33 AM]

Good morning, Cliff! If I say I miss you already, will it make me look very needy?

[08:33 AM]

Asking that question makes me look even more needy, right?

[08:33 AM]

It's your fault for getting me used to having you around, especially on weekends. I'm starting to not remember what my life was like before I met you

[08:37 AM]

_ Good morning, Dylan. I thought you said you would have to attend a meeting at this time of morning. _

[08:37 AM]

I'm at the meeting, but it's being so boring that I chose to distract myself by texting you

[08:38 AM]

_ Dylan… _

[08:38 AM]

Leave the reproachful voice for another time. What are we going to have for lunch today? Chinese? They have opened a new restaurant near your apartment if you are interested

[08:39 AM]

_ I was thinking of visiting Henri before I picked you up for lunch, so... how about that pizzeria you love? _

[08:39 AM]

As much as I love that idea, I remember we promised that we would try to eat more healthier foods, at your insistence. We could go to that restaurant where we had our last date. The meat was very good

[08:40 AM]

_ I remember that you seemed more interested in looking at me than eating the meat. _

[08:40 AM]

What can I say? It was the first time I saw you wearing a suit, so what exactly did you expect me to do if not look at you? It would probably be a crime if I didn't admire you, after you had all the trouble getting yourself dressed up so well on Valentine's Day

[08:41 AM]

_ A crime is the way you looked at me that day as I knew exactly what was going on in your mind, but there was nothing I could do because we are inside a restaurant. _

[08:41 AM]

This way we will both become criminals sooner than we thought, but I feel that we have changed the subject

[08:42 AM]

_ [laughs] I don't care where we go to lunch, Dylan. I just want to see you. _

[08:42 AM]

_ I miss you too. _

  
  


**Wednesday 10th March**

[11:52 AM]

What time is it, Captain?

[11:54 AM]

_ Your messages literally come with the time you sent the message written below, Dylan. _

[11:54 AM]

_ Or is this your "discreet" way of finding out whether or not I’m using the watch you gave me? _

[11:54 AM]

_ Because the answer to that is pretty obvious, don't you think? _

[11:55 AM]

_ It’s 11h55 am. _

[11:55 AM]

Love you too

  
  


**Saturday 17th April**

[02:21 PM]

_ Cat or dog? _

[02:21 PM]

I didn't get the joke

[02:22 PM]

_ It is not a joke. I'm asking if you prefer cats or dogs. _

[02:22 PM]

Because…?

[02:22 PM]

I thought I had been very clear about that on all the times when I complained about Mr. Holmes to you. Like literally since the first time we talked to each other

[02:23 PM]

_ Hard to say if you had something against cats or specifically with your friend's cat. _

[02:23 PM]

I'm more of a dog person

[02:23 PM]

Now are you going to tell me why you asked me that?

[02:24 PM]

_ Have someone already told you how rushed you are? _

[02:24 PM]

Yeah, you did. Especially when I'm about to be late for work because of our morning sex, but I'm not complaining

[02:24 PM]

_ I would be offended if you were complaining because I clearly remember that it was you who made it our habit. _

[02:24 PM]

A habit that we both enjoy, so let's keep it that way and come back to the question of why you are asking me if I like cats or dogs

[02:25 PM]

_ I may have a surprise for you. _

[02:25 PM]

This conversation is getting more and more weird as the minutes go by…

[02:26 PM]

_ How would you feel about taking care of a dog with me? _

[02:28 PM]

Explain yourself, Cliff.

[02:29 PM]

_ Some of my missions involve receiving help from a dog with military training for certain situations and unfortunately he was injured in an accident at the military base, so I may have volunteered to look after him until he recovered. And I thought that maybe you would be happy to take care of him with me. _

[02:30 PM]

What's his name?

[02:30 PM]

_ Bucky. _

[02:30 PM]

Another Captain America joke?

[02:30 PM]

Because if so, I will definitely call him “Winter Soldier” when I meet him

[02:32 PM]

_ I’ll never let you know my men. You're going to make me lose my morale and reputation with them by saying things like that. Or worse. They will be influenced by your insubordination personality. _

  
  


**Thursday 22th April**

[09:49 AM]

How's my favorite Winter Soldier?

[09:49 AM]

Tell him that I gave him permission to bite John if he decides to appear near you

[09:55 AM]

_ Stop calling him that, Dylan. And why you don't like John? You only met him once. _

[09:55 AM]

You may have forgiven him for almost deleting my cell phone number for your own sake, but I didn't

[09:55 AM]

And the feeling of hate is mutual, if you don't know

[09:55 AM]

And I think that he was a thing for you

[09:56 AM]

_ Now you're being ridiculous. _

[09:56 AM]

Call me ridiculous again, Captain, and I'm going to tell Bucky to bite you too

[09:56 AM]

_ He's doing great, by the way. Why can't you just admit that you like this beautiful dog as much as I do? _

[09:57 AM]

I won't create attachments because if I do... I'll be sad when he was to go back to work

[09:57 AM]

But then again, I can always steal him from the military if I want, right?

[09:58 AM]

_ Please don’t. _

  
  


**Wednesday 5nd May**

[07:27 PM]

_ Dylan, I have the impression that sometimes I don't make it clear how important you are and your very existence makes this world something more. I don't like it when you devalue yourself just because your personality is different from others or when you think you are too good for me. I’m also not perfect, no matter how many times you insist on saying that I am. You’re the reason I learned to text messages on cell phones, even though I hated doing it. You changed me and I believe it was for the best because that is usually what happens when you love someone for being just the way they are. I love you for being exactly the way you are. Cliff Unger. _

[07:29 PM]

Are you drunk, Cliff?

[07:30 PM]

_ Certainly not. Why do you think that? _

[07:30 PM]

Because you put your name at the end of the message

[07:30 PM]

Or maybe it's because you're being more romantic than usual through messages. You usually prefer to tell me these things in person to see my face flush

[07:32 PM]

_ Damn it! I want to see your face blush. Are you blushing now, Dylan? _

[07:32 PM]

Where are you, Cliff?

[07:32 PM]

_ I'll tell you if you send me a picture of your flushed face. _

[07:33 PM]

That’s not going to happen, Captain. Now where are you or I will track you by your cell phone's GPS

[07:33 PM]

_ I forgot for a minute that you can be scary sometimes. _


	7. Chapter 7

“What do you think about meeting my parents?”

Dylan was surprised by Cliff's question, mostly because they were lying on the couch in Dylan's apartment supposedly watching a movie, but actually more concerned about making out. It seemed like a question out of context, but then Cliff explained that he had been thinking about visiting his parents for a long time and thought that maybe Dylan would like to accompany him this time.

“Sure. Why not?” Dylan replied, smiling and running his fingers through Cliff's hair as they continued to look at each other. “Name the date and the time.” he was even happier to have said those words when he saw the beautiful smile that appeared on Cliff's lips, which immediately afterwards kissed him with such passion that Dylan almost forgot what they were talking about.

  
  


**The next day**

“Oh my God! What was I thinking? I'm not ready to meet Cliff's parents. True, I always wanted to meet them, they appear to be wonderful people and I bet they must look like Cliff, but this is not the point. What if they don't like me? I usually don't care what others think of me, but if Cliff's parents end up not liking me, I really don't know what I'm going to do. What if Cliff ends up breaking up with me? It's not like I could blame him, sometimes I don't think I deserve him…” Dylan continued to say everything that went on in his mind without having almost any time to breathe or process what he was thinking.

“You're thinking too much, Dylan.” Gael tried to calm his friend, a little confused because he had never seen him behave like this before. In fact, after Cliff, Dylan seems to be doing several things that he would never even have crossed his mind before. Love really changes people. “Don’t be so negative. They're going to love you. I'm sure of it.”

The two friends were talking in the living room of Gael's apartment since Dylan had decided to visit without telling. Since the time when they had become friends in college, Dylan had acquired the habit of always seeking advice from his friend on generally "social" matters. After all, Gael was better at this than he was. In these situations, Gael usually sat while Dylan told him everything he needed while walking back and forth in the living room, as he was unable to stand still, just as he was doing right now.

“And how the hell could you possibly know that?!” Dylan exclaimed, finally stopping walking.

Even after all these years, Gael still cannot understand why Dylan has so little confidence in himself when it comes to relating to others. More than the excuse of not knowing how to act like everyone else and have a friendly interaction with others, Dylan always seems to think that he does not deserve to wish for more than he already has, perhaps afraid of losing the happiness he has achieved so far.

“Well, let’s think.” pretending to be thinking deeply about something, Gael began to say all the qualities that his friend possessed and which he admired. “You’re handsome. The perfect genius. Owner of a technology and electronics company. Can speak 5 languages fluently. Rich. With two wonderful brothers. A great person, even when you are not aware of it. Not to mention that Cliff loves you.”

“If you continue to praise him like this I will end up being jealous.” Ryan spoke, coming out of Gael's room, clearly looking like he just woke up from his sleepy expression. Mr. Holmes was lying comfortably on Ryan's shoulder. “What can be so important for you two to be talking so early in the morning?”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” looking away from his brother, Dylan looked angrily at Gael. “Why the hell didn’t you say Ryan was here?!” he was still trying to get used to the fact that the two of them were dating and everything, but sometimes he ended up forgetting about it and freaking out like today.

“Well, it's not like you have given me much of an opportunity to speak since the moment you got here.” Gael explained, while knowing that his friend probably would have reacted the same way even if he had told him earlier about the presence of Ryan sleeping in his bed.

“For the fuck sake. Put a damn shirt, Ryan!” complained Dylan, unable to look at his brother.

“What? Where did all this shyness come from?” Ryan said in a playful tone, smiling at his brother as he ran his hands through his messy hair. “It's not like it's the first time you've seen me shirtless, Dy.”

“Shut up.” he replied, not seeming to want to waste his time arguing about it. “And you, Mr. Holmes, get off his shoulder. You still have four legs to walk, don't you?” Dylan looked seriously at the cat, who meowed before closing his eyes again, totally ignoring his words.

“Leave him alone, Dylan.” Ryan laughed, turning his attention to the cat and petting him. “Mr. Holmes deserves a little more respect. Don't talk to him like that.” the cat was very happy to receive Ryan's attention, also seeming to understand perfectly what he had just said.

“Really? Why is that?” Dylan crossed his arms looking at them both.

“He is Gael's best friend.” Ryan's response came in such a natural tone, as if it were an obvious thing.

“Is that so?” automatically, Dylan directed his cold gaze towards his friend. “I thought you said I was your best friend, Gael.” if he looked angry before, now Dylan looked furious. “I've never taken you for a liar.”

“Can't I have more than one best friend?” from the moment the words left his mouth, he already knew what Dylan's reaction would be. Gael probably should have thought of saying something else, anything that wasn't going to make his friend even angrier.

“No.” Dylan responded immediately, even colder and indifferent. “And don't expect me to compete for that position with your damn cat.” shortly after saying this, he heard an irritated sound of Mr. Holmes, who now had left Ryan's shoulder and jumped onto the couch, standing next to Gael while he seemed to growl at Dylan. “Grow as much as you like, Mr. Holmes. But when was the last time you really acted like a good cat and took care of Gael? You don't even let him change the damn TV channel because you want to watch your fucking favorite shows, don't you?” to everyone's surprise, the cat just gave Dylan a tongue, before jumping onto Gael's lap and settling down. “Yeah, that’s right. You can't even argue because you know I'm right.”

“Okay! I think I'll make some coffee for all of us.” Ryan was now wearing a shirt, probably not to provoke his brother any further emotions. “You urgently need coffee, Dylan, so wait a little bit and try not to start a war with Mr. Holmes while I make your coffee.” he put his hand and kissed Gael's head before going to the kitchen.

While the coffee was being prepared, Dylan sighed deeply, choosing to sit in one of the chairs furthest from where Gael was sitting petting Mr. Holmes. During this time, Gael ended up explaining to Ryan why Dylan was there and about his dilemma regarding visiting Cliff's parents.

“I don’t believe that you are stressing because of something so simple, dear brother.” said Ryan smiling, as he had thought the matter was something much more serious than that. “Didn’t I tell you I met Gael's parents when we went to London?”

“What?” Dylan looked surprised in his brother's direction. “I thought you guys went there on vacation.”

“It was a little of both.” explained Gael, making an expression as if recalling something. “Vacation and family. It was certainly one of my best trips there and it was a pleasure to be able to show Ryan a bit of my country, not to mention introducing him to my family.”

After taking some of the coffee from Ryan's mug (he would rather have tea than coffee), Gael excused himself to take a quick shower since he hadn't yet had a chance to do so with Dylan's arrival. Mr. Holmes followed Gael, leaving Dylan alone with his brother. After taking generous sips of coffee, he spoke without looking at Ryan.

“So… how it went?” he asked in a slightly uncertain voice.

“What?” replied Ryan, taking another sip of coffee.

“Meeting Gael's parents.”

“What are you talking about?” Ryan looked at him confused. “You met them years before me.”

“You know what I mean.” Dylan continued to keep his gaze on the mug in his hand, still looking unsure and perhaps a little shy, being more honest with his brother than he was being with Gael.

“Yes, I know, but I think it's priceless to see you acting cute like this.” it would be a lie to say that he was not considering telling their sister about this and informing how Dylan seemed to be finally experiencing all the ups and downs of a romantic relationship.

“I'm serious, Ryan!” Dylan finally looked at his brother with an angry look.

“It's going to be alright, Dylan.” he assured with a voice full of confidence and positivity. “I agree with Gael. They will adore you.” Ryan also wanted to say that not all parents were like theirs and that he didn't have to worry about it, but it didn't seem like a good idea to mention them now, especially since Dylan felt so nervous. “Just be yourself and ask about your boyfriend's embarrassed stories. Parents love to talk about that.”

They were silent for a minute while Dylan considered his brother's advice, wondering whether or not to take him seriously. In a way, talking to Gael and Ryan had managed to make him more relaxed, even only a little.

“So… you weren't afraid?” now Dylan's tone of voice was curious. “To meet Gael's family.”

“Oh, I was scared to death!” Ryan laughed nervously. “Did you see the size of Gael's parents' house?! I felt like I was about to meet the royal family or something.” he took another sip of his coffee, making a thoughtful face. “Maybe for a sec… it felt as if we lived in two totally different worlds and I thought I wasn’t good enough for him. That I would never be good enough for him.” the two looked at each other and Ryan smiled. “Turns out that the only thing that mattered to them was my feelings for Gael and that I was more handsome than they had imagined. And the fact that I was your brother.” winked at Dylan. “You’re more charming than you think, Dy.”

  
  


**A week later**

Cliff was driving to his parents' house, so Dylan ended up falling asleep without realizing it with the sunglasses still hiding his eyes and preventing the glare from the sun from bothering him. It turns out that he was so nervous about today that he ended up not sleeping at all the night before, but the car's movement and Cliff's presence were enough to make him close his eyes and fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

It seemed that no matter how hard Cliff tried to reassure his boyfriend that there was no need to feel so nervous and insecure, Dylan kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong until his thoughts were silenced with a breathtaking kiss.

“No matter what happens today... nothing is going to change between us.” Cliff's words were said almost in a whisper, while their faces remained close enough to make their noses touch gently after the kiss they shared. “You and me… we still have a long road to go on together, right?” his smile always made Dylan's heart beat faster and made him wonder if that was normal or if Cliff felt the same way. “You won't get rid of me that easy, Dylan.”

By the way Cliff spoke, it gave the impression that it was Dylan who would run away if things went wrong, which was a ridiculous thought since he couldn't see himself taking even a step away from this man he was hopelessly in love with, probably even before they looked at each other for the first time in that coffee shop.

Unfortunately Dylan didn't have the opportunity to say Cliff was wrong to think like that, as the door to the house they were standing in front of began to open, making him immediately remember where they were and who he was about to meet. Dylan could have sworn he even held his breath out of reflex.

The person who opened the door was a woman with short black hair, light eyes that reminded the brightness of the stars and a charming smile that made her look younger. It was easy to see the similarities of the woman's delicate features to Cliff's face, but unlike the captain, this woman looked something so precious and small that made him think that he would like to protect her. A strange thought to have of someone he just met.

“Cliffy. How are you, dear?” she asked as the two exchanged a motherly hug.

Upon hearing the nickname she used to refer to the captain, Dylan's head was almost short-circuited like a computer. The nickname had its affectionate air that a mother would probably use to refer to her son, but at the same time it didn't seem to match Dylan's image of his boyfriend. Still, it was impossible not to think what expression Cliff would make if Dylan decided to call him that.

“Hello, mother.” greeted Cliff, placing both arms around her clearly with affection and delicacy. “You look more charming than the last time we met.” and then he put a white gardenia flower between her ear, acting like it's the most natural thing to do. “Does father know how lucky he is to have married you?”

“Oh, you are just like your dad, don’t you?” her smile was even brighter, as were her eyes, as she put her hand on the flower. “Saying the nicest things and bringing flowers even after I said you didn't have to bother doing that. Your father already flattered me more than enough, so how about keeping your charm for your boyfriend?” it was at this moment that she looked in the direction of Dylan. “I'm sure he agrees with me.”

“Dylan, this amazing wonderful woman is my mom, Vanessa.” the introductions were made with Cliff holding Dylan's hand and gently pulling him closer. “Mother, this is my boyfriend that I told you about. Please be nice to him. I really like him.”

Honestly, Dylan didn't know how Cliff was able to say all that with a straight face without feeling embarrassed because that's exactly how he felt even though Dylan hadn't even said anything so far. Was that the right way for someone to introduce their boyfriend to their mother? Or was Cliff just acting like himself and doing things that no one else would have done?

“I don't know what must have gone through your mind to tell me that, dear, but it's pretty obvious to me how much you care about him so you don't have to worry.” after saying that, Vanessa looked back at Dylan with a gentle smile. “It's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you, Dylan.” the two exchanged a handshake. “My husband and I were beginning to wonder when we would meet this brilliant young man whom our son spoke so much about.”

“Really? I had no idea that Cliff had already mentioned me to you.” Dylan managed to keep his voice as natural as possible, but his smile still seemed unable to completely exclude his nervousness. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Unger. I didn't know exactly what to bring to thank you for having me, but I hope you and your husband like wine.” he handed over a wrapped wine bottle not as expensive as he would have liked, as Cliff prevented him from buying the most expensive wine they had at the store where the two of them went.

“Please call me Vanessa.” she asked, smiling and thanking for the gift. “I have a good impression that we will get along very well, after all…” the woman looked at Cliff before looking back at Dylan. “My son has always had a good intuition about people and now that we met, I can say for sure that he also has great taste.”

Cliff laughed happily and Dylan knew his face was flushed, but tried to ignore it as they entered the house.

It didn't take long for Dylan to realize that Cliff's mother had a personality similar to her son and that despite her fragile appearance, she doesn't need to be protected by anyone because she was more than able to take care of herself. Indeed, Vanessa seemed to be an incredible woman and a loving mother. Was this how a true mother should be? Unsurprisingly, he felt a little jealous of Cliff just as he had when he met Gael's mother.

Cliff's father, Kyle, came out of the kitchen from where it clearly could smell the pleasant lunch they would soon have. Dylan was a little bewildered by the resemblance between him and Cliff, especially in the color of his eyes, that unique amber color. His gray hair was cut like his son's, his smile was calm and gave the impression of being someone used to dealing with any type of person.

“I never thought Cliffy would fall in love with someone as tech-savvy as you, while he seems to have a strange allergy to any electronic device.” the older man joked in a very friendly tone, while the two finished greeting each other. “Who knows, you may finally be able to convince him to make video calls.”

“I smell something burning, father.” commented Cliff in a strangely calm tone considering what he said. “Maybe you should check it out just to be sure.”

“My nose is better than yours, boy, so don't even try to trick me.” the two face each other, while Dylan was surprised once again to see someone calling Cliff "boy". His boyfriend could be many things, but boy was definitely not one of them. “Even your grandparents call us by video calls, so I really can't understand what you have so much against it.”

“I just prefer simple calls, that's all.”

“Of course. Just as you chose to ignore everything I taught you about cooking to be a military man who eats ration with almost no nutrients.” he spoke calmly, not seeming to have approved very much the career choice his son had made.

“Let's not start this again, father. You know how much I like your food, but that doesn't mean I wanted to be as good at cooking as you are.” Cliff sighed, thinking that he really didn't want to start having this conversation with his dad again, much less in front of Dylan.

“Oh! You know how to cook?” asked Dylan, genuinely surprised and curious.

Dylan didn't understand the surprised look that Kyle gave him when he heard his question, but it was Vanessa who explained that her husband was a great cook who had even managed to open some restaurants. In fact, the two of them had met at one of these restaurants and ended up falling in love easily. At that time, Vanessa was a book publisher. That explained Cliff's passion for books.

Lunch was much more pleasant and fun than Dylan had been able to imagine being possible. The conversation between the four had flowed naturally, even when most questions were asked about Dylan. The atmosphere between them was something similar to what he felt when he was with Amber and Ryan and that surprised him, because maybe he was going too fast to assume that he could be part of that family.

Cliff's parents clearly still loved each other very much, even after all the years of marriage and admirably they didn't need to make physical contacts to demonstrate this. Sometimes a look, a smile or a laugh was enough for Dylan to admire the love they shared.

They really were Cliff's parents.

Another detail he had noticed, in addition to the extremely delicious food (probably one of the best foods he had the pleasure of tasting so far), Dylan realized that Kyle had taken into account Cliff's tastes and his own to make the meal they were enjoying. He probably must have asked about it beforehand in a previous conversation with his son, which was very considerable on his part. It was a surprise that made Dylan smile with a naturalness that was obviously noticed by Cliff, who exchanged a brief smile with him when the two faced each other. With that, he made a mental note that he would later ask Cliff what his parents' food preferences were for a possible future meeting between them (even though he most likely would not be the one who would prepare the meals).

“Feel free to visit us whenever you want, Dylan.” Kyle's suggestion took him by surprise, when they were saying goodbye at the entrance to the house. “It would be a pleasure to give you some cooking tips just to make sure that you two will be eating right in New York.” while saying this, Vanessa put her arms around her husband, who naturally returned the gesture and also kissed on the top of her head.

“Dad.” Cliff's voice came out almost as an order, probably the tone of voice he used as a captain.

“What? I'm just making a suggestion.” he said in a relaxed way, laughing and having fun with his son's reaction.

“Thank you, Mr. Kyle.” thanked Dylan, with an honest smile. “Perhaps I will accept your offer if you teach me how to make Cliff's favorite dishes.” for a few seconds no one said anything, perhaps surprised by his words, but soon the silence was broken with a happy laugh from Kyle.

“My son was right.” he said after he stopped laughing. “You really are smart and charming.”

Dylan was about to ask what he meant by that, but his thoughts were lost when he saw Cliff grabbing the sunglasses that were in the pocket outside his coat and putting them on, already starting to walk away from the house. Was it possible? Was Cliff really embarrassed? Maybe even flushed behind the sunglasses?

“Where's my goodbye kiss?” Vanessa asked, crossing her arms and looking outraged at her son's behavior, who quickly returned to kiss her cheek. “Drive carefully, alright?”

“I also want a goodbye kiss.” complained Kyle, strangely looking much younger, mainly because it looked like he had purposely made an upset expression. “Come on, Cliff. I think I deserve at least a hug from my son.”

“Aren't you too old to want hugs?” Cliff replied and Dylan held his laugh.

“Not hugs from my boy. I'll never be old enough for that.” and after saying that, Kyle opened his arms and Cliff almost reluctantly decided to accept and quickly embrace his father. “You know that I’ll always love you, right?”

“Yeah. Love you too.” he replied, slapping the older man on the shoulder and then walking away, taking Dylan's hand, the two started walking away from the house towards the car.

“Cliffy!” upon hearing Vanessa's voice, the two turned towards her. “Why don't you take Dylan to that amusement park you loved to go to? I'm sure you two will have a lot of fun there.”

Cliff started to say that Dylan was a busy person and that they should be back in New York soon, but Dylan was curious to know what this place was and ended up saying it was okay if they ended up taking a little longer to get home. Dylan said goodbye to Cliff's parents before they got in the car and was really happy to have come here with his boyfriend.

As their car headed for the amusement park, Dylan looked at Cliff trying to see his face behind those glasses and find out if he really was embarrassed. It was only at that moment that he realized that he had forgotten to take Ryan's advice and ask about Cliff's past history. That opportunity would have to be left for a next time.

“I think I love your parents, Cliffy.” Dylan commented smiling, looking ahead. “Can I steal them from you?”

The answer didn’t come immediately, because Cliff was smiling and feeling quite happy about the fact that his boyfriend was in a great mood. Although he didn't think things would go wrong, it was somewhat of a relief to see how well his parents had gotten along with Dylan.

“We can always share, Dylan.” Cliff said, holding Dylan's hand but not taking his eyes off the road. “We can even make it official when we get married, if you want.” Cliff smiled, quite aware of what he had just said, while Dylan let out a grunt before hiding his face with his hands saying that Cliff was forbidden to say things like that.


End file.
